run for president. "he wanted to be president less than anyone i've met in my life" direct quote, and he went on to say that his father is a very private person who does not like attention. that's a stunning remark, the money, the time, the scheduling, the scrutiny, the investment. if you don't really want it, why would you jump and devote two years of your life running for the toughest job on the planet? >> i was at the romney headquarters election night and when they learned he wasn't going to be president of the united states, he looked sad. he looked like somebody that really wanted this and it was not going to be. so just seeing the reaction and everything that went to it. and tag said that ann tried to convince him of this, too. >> you have to wonder, did he really not -- he could have made choices and said i'm not going

to do it. but you have to wonder did he not want to do it or is this kind of, you know, post election -- like i didn't want it any way. i'm brushing it off. i don't know how to interpret that, but interesting article in "the globe." in other news today, a veteran idaho lawmaker is apologizing after being arrested for dui in washington. virginia police say republican mike crepo had a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit. former president george h.w. bush may be spending christmas in the hospital. doctors say he's in stable condition but needs to build up his energy. christmas prayers are going out to nelson mandela. south africans are sending warm

wishes to the ormer leader. he's been in the hospital for more than two weeks with a lung infection and gal stone surgery, as well. he's in no imminent danger but doctors want to make sure before releasing him. the icon is 94 years old. now we turn to britain, where thousands of christmas travelers are having a rough go today. flooding has shut down train service in many areas, especially in scotland, southwest england and south wales, as well. in highways there impassable. drivers have been warned not to travel unless absolutely necessary. and more rain expected later today. severe flooding is a problem in northern california. highways in sonoma california are under water. and up in the mountains, up to four feet of snow expected to fall in the sierra nevada. it is the second wave of storms to hit northern california sense friday. the rainy weather also grounded dozens of flights around the san

francisco bay area. the san francisco international up to 30 flights have been canceled and many more delayed. that includes incoming and departing flights. just in time for holiday travel. >> as if the holidays aren't stressful enough with other things. good luck, everybody, getting around. while the west takes that beating, the gulf coast is bracing for tornadoes during this holiday weekend. >> good morning, andrew. >> much of the nation will be relatively tranquil for your holiday travels, our big unsettled area will be across portions of the south and the gulf coast especially. disturbance pushing through and strong thunderstorms late tonight in the houston area, into tomorrow. then louisiana, mississippi, alabama, georgia, looking at torrential down pours, hail and a threat for tornadoes. >> thank you, andy.

not only is it christmas eve, it is national eggnog day. >> did you know? >> who knew? it's frothy, fattening, made from milk, sugar and spices. if it's homemade, it might be made with raw, unpasteurized eggs. but the commercial stuff like we have here is safe in cartons and made with the safe eggs, which is good to know. >> definitely. we're drinking the good stuff. >> hey, the commish. >> there you go, dude. >> very nice. cheers. it's a party here. >> as you all well know, if you want stronger, the brandy is in my desk upstairs. you know how we roll.

>> there you go. sometime -- >> this is pretty good for the stuff we have here. >> this is nice. >> well done, staff. salute, everybody. get some eggnog. we'll be back with more "world news now" right after this, everybody. don't go far. >> cheers. >> salute. i'm done!

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♪

welcome back. you're almost done with your first glass. >> this is good. >> fill you up for round two. it's not as dire as the whole fiscal cliff situation, but there are a lot of people upset at the game show "wheel of fortune." >> it has to do with a contestant who guessed the right word but lost because of the way she said the word because of her accent. here's abc's john muller. >> reporter: she was on a roll, cruising her way towards thousands on "wheel of fortune. >> n. >> three ns. >> reporter: renee can taste victory. she's got the winning answer. >> i would like to solve. seven swans a swimming. >> reporter: or so she thought.

pronouncing swimming swimmin'. >> yeah. >> that's how i speak, you know, being from florida. i had asked for the g, so i knew it was there. >> reporter: judges said it was spoken in vernacular. the twitter lit up with outrage. "wheel of fortune" hates southerners. even the other contestant handed the win couldn't believe it. >> you ddo you know what happen? >> no. >> it cost me the show. >> reporter: while the judges may be grinches, they didn't feel our christmas spirit, even if she sings it seven swams a

swimmin'. >> it's been such a whirl wind, i feel like i should be out with big sunglasses and a hat. >> blown away. >> come on, she guessed the letter. you knew what she was saying. >> you could hear it. >> bad call. i got two letters for you, pat, bs. i think it's the wrong call. i'm calling pat sajak out here. >> pat and vana are listening, i'm sure. coming up next, getting feisty on christmas eve. that that's the nog talking. up next -- >> demi moore has more demands in her high profile divorce, next.

♪ skinny, so skinny crazy. believe it or not, it's been more than a year, november 2011 when ashton kutcher and demi moore announced they were breaking up. but they're just getting around filing for the divorce.

apparently ashton took the first move and he filed his petition friday in los angeles superior court, citing the ever popular irreconcilable differences. but they're getting on with the business of the divorce. both are worth millions. >> is he worth more now? >> who knows? money always gets -- we'll see. ashton took the first step and is getting out there. of course, he's dating another lady love now. now to some scary moments for regiihannrihanna. there was a guy trespassing on the property where she was

staying in barbados. but everything is okay. she's fine. the guy had already left by the time officers arrived. but on a side note, rihanna donating $1.75 million to a barbados hospital in memory of her grandmother. >> interesting, though, there's your girlfriend rihanna, willis. to youtube in july and is the first youtube video to hit 1 billion hits. and off this one song he purchased a home in l.a., cash

money, $1.5 million. we can just move on and hopefully gungnam style will go out of style in 2013. rolling stones' ronnie wood just got married to this young lady who is 34. they just got married. congratulations. and they're going to start a family. so we could see a baby on the rolling stores tour with mick and -- >> wow. rolling stone, indeed. 64? >> 64 and 35. >> yeah, dude, he's a rock star. these how rock stars roll. can't hate him for that. this is a big story. we want to give a congratulations to our favorite weatherman sam champion. he got married last week to his partner, ruben. it was a small ceremony here in manhattan. and robin roberts was there,

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♪ welcome back. finally this half hour, christmas gifts for people on your list who have, and we mean this, everything. >> of course, if money is no object, and we know rob can spend a little dough, we have some ideas sure to please. here's abc's dan harris. >> reporter: it's called simply enough, the christmas book. an annual catalog put out by the high end retailer neimann marcus. inside, you can find fantasy gif gifts, like a $50,000 personal blimp, even a flying car at the bargain price of $3.5 million. >> it's just fun to go through and say i would love to have this, i would love to have that. ♪ it's a hard knock life for us ♪

♪ it's a hard knock like for us ♪ >> reporter: this year you can buy a walk-on role to the broadway hit "annie." or this -- a real-life jet pack. at a price of roughly $100,000, it will take you 30 feet in the hair at 30 miles an hour. this can guy do twists, turns, barrel rolls and dive bombs. when i tried it, i inched along at five feet above the water. there's a $100,000 hen house. this looks like the french poodle of hens. here the 1% of the poultry world can cluck around in a coup fitted with a living room, modeled on the palace of versailles. is something like this wasted on chickens? is there any evidence they're going to lay better eggs in this environment?

>> no, but you'll be encouraged and inspired. >> reporter: fancy chickens do lay colored eggs, green and red. i tried one. it's really good. really good. i would definitely pay $100,000 for that egg. dan harris, abc news, new york. >> give it some gas, dan. >> the jet pack looks cool. the hen house, come on, now. every day. that looks like a good gift because that's something if you have that kind of money you can get into, you know what i mean? >> until you crash it. >> i don't have that kind of money. merry christmas, everybody.

this morning on "world news now," trouble times two. the west coast gets slammed again by powerful storms at the worst of times. and with the tremendous snowfall and powerful wind swept rain, mother nature is not spending christmas and other parts of the country christmas cheer. it's monday, december 4. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." and good monday morning, on this christmas eve. good to have brandy back in the house. it's been good. we had a little eggnog. >> we're making it a festive holiday. >> glad you're back. welcome back to the overnight

rodeo. >> yes, the hours are great. i'm in for paula faris who is on assignment. we've been talking about the snowstorms and the tornadoes. yes, they're back in the christmas forecast. we'll have more on that. also this morning, the debate over gun control and the direction it is taking, as newtown attempts to observe christmas. and why retailers are experiencing a slump while procrastinators are looking for last-minute christmas deals. experts say waiting to buy may have benefits that you may not have considered before. so this is a great story. the slowness may be worth it in the end. >> as long as you wrap it and don't give it in the plastic bag you got it from shopping in. >> no promises on that front. later this half hour, make or break time for your favorite nfl teams. you know rob is watching all the games. we'll see how the season is

shaping up. >> willis, how did the giants do yesterday? how did that game turn out? okay. i'm just curious. i don't hear anything today, willis. >> right, right. >> you're just so quiet. so unlike you today. looking angry. >> it's okay, willis, i'm with you. >> always next season, willis. first, a major cleanup in northern california after a weekend blast of wet weather. dozens of flights were cap seld at bay area airports. >> and the area's famous vineyards under water. >> reporter: it's the christmas trip turned travel nightmare for drivers on the east and west coast. in northern california, with nor snow expected to blanket the sierra mountains, cars are

having trouble just staying on the road. >> the roads were pretty bad. there's definitely going to be chain control for the next two days at least going into christmas. >> reporter: with warmer temperatures in the bay area, the pounding rain has been the big hazard. near san jose, this bad accident happened after one driver going too fast skidded across five lanes, crashing into the other. believe it or not, police say no one was hurt. >> people are still drives fast. you have to watch out for them and try to slow down and anticipate the worst of what other people may do when they hit puddles or something. >> reporter: across the country in syracuse, new york, plows are working overtime, dealing with two consecutive days of snow this weekend, leave thing car stuck with no place to go. >> the weather was bad. the winds were blowing the cars around. you could see the semis were swerving. >> reporter: it's the city's first snowstorm of the season. many are bracing for more to come.

>> if you wanted a white christmas, there you go. the gulf coast is even bracing for the worst. >> including some christmas week tornadoes, believe it or not. andrew has the latest now from accuweather. >> while most of the nation will be relatively tranquil for the holidays, we're tracking one disturbance that will give us unsettled weather across portions of the gulf coast. late tonight, the houston area, we'll see thunderstorms popping up, spreading eastward throughout your christmas tuesday. louisiana, mississippi, alabama, georgia, interstates 10 and 20, torrential downpours, the threat for tornadoes. so a very destructive storm system on this saturday. the highest threat for tornadoes we are looking at around new orleans, mobile, right along interstate 10 and the western panhandle of florida. so definitely be on alert throughout christmas tuesday. we're looking for good snow across portions of the plain.

here's the rest of your christmas eve forecast. last-minute shoppers in boston and chicago could see some light snow. early showers and clearing out in l.a. >> blast of arctic air hits the upper midwest. fargo barely makes it above zero. seattle and portland in the mid 40s. now we turn to the gun control debate. hundreds marched on the brooklyn bridge here in new york last night to call on congress to do something about gun violence. but the nra said it would fight any limits that lawmakers try to place on gun ownership. the head of the nra renewed his call forearmed officers in schools. and the backlash against assault weapons is continuing. several stores in colorado are no longer selling them. one store owner said he didn't ever want to open a newspaper and find out something he had

sold had been used in a tragedy like the one in newtown. the country is so divided on this issue. the polls suggest people want congress to take some action, if nothing more to close loopholes, perhaps ban some of the high capacity magazines. so you think something is going to happen, but you have to wonder if it has the votes in the house to get it passed. even that assault weapons ban from '94 to 2004, even when that passed in the '90s, it passed by two or three votes. so republicans now control the house. i don't know how anything gets through or if it is, it's a baby step. >> and as you heard from the nra, they don't seem to be budging on the issue, either. >> no. leave gun control alone. now a major medical headline just out this morning, and it has to do with bullied, overweight children. a study snows a significant number of them, 42% of them, are

bullied by adults, including gym teachers and coaches. 27% say the verbal abuse has come from teachers. the result of this comes from a survey that was taken by children who were in weight loss programs. and a health alert this morning by unapproved botox making its way into american clinics. the fda is warning 350 medical practices they may have purchased potentially counterfeit botox. it's sold by the wholesaler canada drugs. the fda said it's the same company that shipped fake cancer drugs to america earlier this year. retail analysts are blaming worries over the fiscal cliff for the fiscal slump. overall, holiday sales should be up 2.5% this season. retailers expect nearly $258

billion in sales by christmas day. online sales are up more than 8% through saturday to an estimated $48 billion. and abc's nick lot reports procrastinators are finding some good deals. >> reporter: we have just entered the final hours of gift buying. you look quite stressed. >> i'm note going to lie, i'm tripping out. i want to make sure everyone gets taken care of. >> reporter: the sign says the late gift might be the best gift. true yafrugality evaporates. you make a gut instinct decision. >> say you want to buy a sweater for your wife. if you think about it too much, you may not make a good choice. >> reporter: do you feel you perform best under pressure? >> absolutely. >> reporter: do you always do it last minute? >> yes, absolutely.

you have to make a good decision. >> reporter: stores stay open for the last-minute larries. wallgreens is open christmas day. are you a procrastinator by nature? >> yes. >> reporter: the sales have already begun. the late bird can catch the best deals. >> and like last-minute shopping, it couldn't be christmas would the big guy, the scuba diving santa claus surprised children visiting the aquarium in guadalajara. >> he says it gives him great joy to see the children laughing. >> we're guessing that santa probably had a wonderful crowd out there. he does it all, does the sleigh,

under water, a true renaissance man. >> how much does the suit weigh when he gets out? >> we love you, santa. coming up next, the worst toys parents can find under the christmas tree. and week 16 of the nfl wrat or break it time for your favorite team. you're watching "world news now." [ male announcer ] when ziggy the cat appeared at their door, he opened up jake's very private world. at first, jake's family thought they saved ziggy, but his connection with jake has been a lifesaver. for a love this strong, his family only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein... ...to help keep ziggy's body as strong as a love that reaches further than anyone's words. iams. keep love strong.

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another wild day in the nfl is in the books, the playoff picture coming into focus. here to join us is sports radio personality jason page. we are christmas coordinated here. the red tie, green shirt. very festive here. and our eggnog. >> very nice. >> early christmas and new year's to you. let's talk football and start off with my favorite game of the day. can we just start there? >> calm down, calm down. >> it's been a rough year. today was a good day. >> it was. the saints get an important win as they continue to just battle through this season with a chip on their shoulder. and they deliver a huge playoff blow to the dallas cowboys. new orleans stop teams. hanging on for dear life late. seconds left in the fourth quarter. tony romo finds myles austin.

the cowboys have done this all years long. but not today. crushing blow to the cowboys' playoff hopes. cowboys had a similar play happen to them earlier against the cardinals, too. >> and give credit, the new orleans saints 8-8. a respectable year. eagles playing in perhaps andy reid's last home game. >> redskins and the eagles. you could tell the eagles really wanted to win this for andy reid. they were able to get out in front early. rg-3 obviously in the conversation for offensive rookie of the year. able to get the redskins out front 27-13. but the eagles, they come from behind, get it to 27-20. and closing seconds, coming down to the final seconds.

nick foles with an opportunity on a second and goal, trying to get his team in the end zone, can't do so. redskins win it 27-20. it looks like they're going to be your nfc champ. >> and andy reid in philly, he had some good years in there. the next part of our conversation is dedicated to willis. he had to endure a very rough day today. let's talk about that giants game against baltimore. >> the giants have been awful the last few weeks, not playing well, not getting things going on the defensive end. today, the ravens picked on cory webster all day in that giants' second dare. flacco played great on this day. baltimore going back to the postseason, division champs. now the goal again, can they get into the super bowl? they almost did it last year, coming up just short against the

patriots. >> you think your super bowl pick before the season -- >> ravens and 49ers. and they looked great today. bengals had a great day. >> first time since 1981, bengals in the playoffs back-to-back years. kenny anderson was the quarterback the last time they did it. so a long time ago. bengals get a touchdown on a ben roethlisberger interception. the steelers are just not dynamic enough on offense. they had all sorts of problems today. they do come from behind to tie it 10-10. but late in the fourth, josh brown, former steelers kicker, able to win it in the closing seconds. cincinnati wins 13-10. >> week 17 coming up. that's a wrap on week 16. thank you, sir. as always, thank you. more football coming up next on the "world news now"

competition. you're watching "world news now."

welcome back. we are not quite done with week 16 of the nfl here. it's time now for our update of the prestigious "world news now" nfl picks competition. >> indeed it is. this is my favorite part of the show for multiple reasons. joining us right here at the desk is the senior executive chairman and commissioner of the competition, zach. >> sounded good, despite the results of the week. that title sounded pretty good. let's do this. >> let's get to the standings, brandi. let us know what's up. >> you and the fans and paula did pretty well, you all went

3-1. the commish, you didn't do so well. >> that's not good. that is not good. >> of course -- >> i don't know what to tell you. >> here's my favorite part. the part that makes it official. there i am, on top of the world, on top of the leader board, a game ahead of our beloved friends and two games ahead of our former sports anchor, paula faris. >> the commish is going to have to go rogue again this week. i'm going to have to bet against everything. because you're going to play defense against paula again. >> so whatever you pick, i'll pick the opposite of. the thing i noticed about the jason page segment we just saw is willis' silence, when it was going on. i couldn't -- it was -- it was

like we were hearing crickets. >> did you hear that? >> i don't understand why. the commish for something i had said in our nfl picks competition about what was going down with the jets. the chargers come to town to face quarterback greg mcelroy for a change. and whatever is left of the new york jets, the commish is on his own. i've got dallas. greg mcelroy and the new york jets. >> how do you feel about that? >> didn't go well. mcelroy was sacked 11 times, 11. that's basically only one short of an nfl record. so he didn't have a very good debut. in fact, he said he was disappointed and believe it or

not, he said playing in the nfl is difficult. >> who knew? give a child a toy, it has to work. ♪ make just one someone happy and when it's a toys for tots child, well, what could be more important? so this year, every hasbro toy donated to toys for tots will be powered by duracell. happy holidays. duracell with duralock. trusted everywhere.

we have a holiday theme mix today appropriate for this christmas eve. starting out with this story, which i thought was good. if you don't ask, you don't get. men spend more on their wives and girlfriends at christmas if you tell them what to buy. so the recent study, men were directly affected by their partner's attitude to spending. so the more prudent a woman claimed to be, the less her partner was likely to spend on her. so if you want something expensive, you need to say i want that diamond, that car. >> i want that car and you'll buy the car. >> take me to sizzler, guess what? you're going to be at the sizzler. >> shoot high, ladies, shoot high.

>> exactly. >> and apparently we have a top ten list according to ramblings of toys parents do not like. this one is ridiculous. anyone need a thumb wrestling arena? let's go to number two. give you kids the gift of dino poop. >> literally green mush that's supposed to be the excrement of dead animals. >> i think boys might like that. number three, something else that poos apparently. this is the whoopsy doo doll. when you feed her, she also poos and you get two diapers with one. after diaper two is gone, stop feeding the baby. >> those are crappy gifts. a survey in britain says parents and inlaws top the list

of most dreaded female guests. but the mom of the wife is the most feared gift. brothers, fathers and grandfathers tend to be the more highly anticipated gifts because they bring levity. the mother on the bride side, not so much. >> chris loves you, mom. i tell you that right now. >> i was waiting for that. finally, those two christmas cards coming from the u.s. ambassador of finland, look at this lovely ones. then there's this one. welcome to the gun show. he actually sends this to his friends. if you're going to do that, you might as well take off the whole shirt. i don't know. >> you're advocating full nudity on christmas? >> just do a little more. it woman hurt.

this morning on "world news now," fired up. advocates on both sides of the gun control debate take their emotions to the streets. >> while lawmakers and gun shops are expressing sharply divided opinions about firearms after the newtown tragedy. it's christmas eve, monday, december 24. "world news now." >> merry christmas eve, everybody. i'm rob nelson. and we have another familiar face. to my left this morning, welcome back are the west coast, brandi hitt. >> great to be back. christmas in new york. this is fantastic. >> you love this, even as a west coast girl, you love being in the big apple. >> put on my scarf and mittens

and went for a walk. sometimes it's 70s in l.a. >> welcome aboard. shift number two for you. you're here with us all week. >> all week long. paula faris is on assignment. that's why i'm filling in today. coming up today, hear who's adding their voices to the gun control debate. and you're going to see who is also sending a little christmas comfort to the children of newtown, connecticut. they're facing so many hardships of their own. >> it does not feel like christmas at all in that town. so whatever comforts that town right now. also this morning, a rather dire prediction about the fiscal cliff and what might happen when lawmakers return later this week. it's a pocketbook issue for all of us. >> some people are expecting to maybe go right over that cliff.

and later this half hour, the christmas edition of our insomniac play list. putting a new spin on some of the old christmas classics. topping our news right now, the nra is not backing down from its call to place armed officers in the nation schools. >> congressman chris murphy calls it revolting. >> reporter: from the brooklyn bridge in new york to the sidewalks of falls church, virginia, anti-gun protests are springing up around the country. the debate on gun control has also triggered a run on gun shows and gun stores. sales are soaring as people rush to buy assault weapons before a possible ban. >> we're completely out of the so-called assault weapons. so they're buying up everything. >> reporter: an abc news washington post poll show as majority of americans continue to favor more restrictions on

gun ownership. even sales of gun safes are shooting up. >> people are definitely concerned about the safety of their families and kids. >> reporter: a week after the massacre of those innocent children and adults in newtown, connecticut, the head of the national rifle association unveiled his plan, calling for every american school to have an armed guard. >> when that horrible monster tried to shoot his way into sandy hook school, that if a good guy with a gun had been there, he might have been able to stop him. >> we don't want to turn our schools into dodge cities. >> reporter: at least one school district in new jersey placed armed guards in each school over the governor's objection. >> you don't want to make this an armed camp for kids. i don't think that's a positive example. >> such an interesting debate. you feel like we have to do something to prevent another tragedy like the one we saw in newtown. but folks say you don't want to make it feel like police states. and can schools afford these

days to put armed patrolman in every campus? you don't know where it's going to go from here. >> most people agree on the idea of high magazine clips. but most people agree on new gun control after newtown, gun sales skyrocketing. one store in virginia saying they've never seen anything like that before. >> watching the head of the nra give that press conference in friday and subsequent interview over the weekend, he said we're open to all solutions but took any gun control measures off the table and said let's look at mental health and violence in our culture, but took off gun control. by seems to be against the grain of what the country is saying right now. most folks tend to favor restriction. we'll see what capitol hill does coming up in january. and in related news, gestures of love and support continue to flow into newtown this christmas.

she said after hurricane sandy, her son was given a teddy bear that helped him cope. so she organized a toy drive called operation kid comfort. they drove bags full of bears right there to newtown. >> that's the thing is our things are material. houses, cars and the stuff. and this is a loss that no one can really -- there's no words for the loss that this town is feeling. basically, we've had so much help, we wanted to pay it forward. >> and over the weekend, men of the bridgeport sound tigers changed their names to honor the children murdered in that sandy hook tragedy. the hockey team donned all black uniforms with the names of the 20 schoolchildren right there on the back. >> an outpouring of support. overseas now to afghanistan. abc news learned a top navy s.e.a.l. commander has died.

his death is being investigated right now as a suicide. military officials say he died of a gunshot wound to the head. price was a member of s.e.a.l. team 4, which is a special navy warfare unit. commander price was from potstown, pennsylvania. a senator from idaho is apologizing this morning after he was arrested for driving drunk. police in washington say republican mike crepo was pulled over after running a red light sunday. he failed several sobriety tests, taken to jail and released on bond. he's expected in court in january. he says he takes total responsibility. another veteran on capitol hill was laid to rest in his home state of hawaii. in attendance, president obama. a 19 cannon salute was fired at the senator's funeral, which took place in honolulu. the president and first lady, who are in hawaii on vacation right now, were among the

mourners at the national memorial center. he died last week at the age of 88. only one week to go, and there's still no deal preventing the economy from going over the fiscal cliff. members of congress are pointing fingers over who is to blame for the lack of progress to prevent tax hikes and spending cuts. connecticut's independent senator joe lieberman expects congress to work right up to the deadline. but he's not even sure that's going to be enough. >> it's the first time i feel it's more likely we will go over the cliff than not, and if we allow that to happen, it will be the most colossal consequential act of congressional er responsibility in a long time. >> the president and congress are due back later in the week. one possibility is a partial deal on taxes while putting off an agreement on spending, kicking some of the can down the

road once again. >> and that seems to be what congress is good at. no problem ever gets solved. there's no grand bargain. seems like we just do a little bit and then say oh, we'll get it by the fall. and nothing substantive really gets done. it's a sad state of affairs. this is the result of when folks cannot take off the partisan war paint and get something done. >> on both sides. when you look at some of the polls that have come out and approval ratings for congress, it's awful. 20% for democrats and republicans. so you want somebody to step up to the plate. but it's all this right now. >> exactly. it doesn't get real until that first paycheck in january, everyone goes oh, this is why the fiscal cliff was important. in other news this morning, retail analysts blame worries of that fiscal cliff and other issues for a slump in holiday shopping. sales fell more than 4% during the second week of december.

but overall sales should be up 2.5%. online sales are up more than 8% through saturday to an estimated $48 billion. you done with your shopping? >> i got most of it done. my husband is going to have to finish it off for the rest of the family because i don't have anymore time. >> perfect excuse. >> and he's happy to do it. mother nature is getting into the holiday spirit with christmas lights of her own. listen to this, jupiter and the moon will be in conjunction tomorrow evening, but they're already close together in the sky. and bright enough to be visible around the world, even in big cities. >> and with a home telescope you'll be able to see the storms on jupiter and the four largest moons, as well as the mountains and the craters there on the moon. even with the naked eye, believe it or not, you'll still be able

to check out this very cool show. >> hopefully the weather is holding up and it's not going to be cloudy. >> west coast having some tough times weather wise. coming up next, some last-minute high tech advise for your last minute shoppers out there. and a baby boy considered a holiday miracle. he was born after a delicate operation while he was still in his mother's womb. you're watching "world news now."

♪ an early christmas miracle for parents of a newborn. >> the baby's life was saved by a new operation performed before the baby was born. here's dr. richard besser. >> reporter: what you're seeing is a miracle in motion. just a few minutes old, you would never guess this baby had an operation on his heart months before. a patient while still in his mother's womb. 20 weeks pregnant, katrina had received devastating news. >> she was carrying a fetus that had an absence of development of the left side of the heart. >> reporter: doctors at the

children's hospital of philadelphia wanted to perform an operation on his heart, just the size of the grape. they had tried before. >> we held on to the glimmer of hope that maybe it was going to be this experimental procedure that would maybe give him a little hope. >> reporter: doctors inserted a tiny stent. doctors wouldn't know how successful they were until three months later when he was born. every cry, a welcome sound. and remember how we told you that no child had ever lived to 1? take a look at this. ♪ happy birthday to you >> reporter: what are your dreams for him? >> grow up, have a family of his own. yeah, just grow old like the rest of us. >> reporter: a little fighter, looking forward to many more birthdays.

dr. richard besser, abc news, east greenville, pennsylvania. >> cute kid and a lucky one. the heart, the size of a grape. incredible. the medical skill to pull that off, just amazing. certainly a wonderful christmas for that family. that is so good to see. still ahead, sunny hostin is here with advice for all of you high tech holiday shoppers. >> if you can't decide which tablet to buy for that geek on your list, stick around because we're going to point you in the right direction. you're watching "world news now."

♪ items, but there are dozens to choose from. how do you decide which one to buy? well, abc tech contributor tina is here this morning to help us through the maze. look at all the options we have. >> there's so many options. probably the most popular is the apple ipad mini. a lot of people are thinking about that one. it's great, because they basically took everything you love about the ipad and shrunk it and put it into this much smaller package. it's super affordable. super light. everything you love about apple's regular ipad, now much more affordable. >> at a fraction of the cost?

>> almost. it's $330, but goes up from there. but you can do better, i think. these two guys are my top pick for best tablet on a budget. >> really? >> and they have a way better screen resolution. this is the barnes and noble hd and this is google's nexus 7. so both run on a different operating system. if you're open to maybe moving away from apple and trying out androids, these are two android tablets that are super functional. they do everything a good tablet would do. >> what about the cost? >> $199. >> that's significant, that's significant. >> same price for both of these, $199 versus $399. if you're open to trying

something new, check out one of these two. >> about these? these are larger. >> yeah. if you want a little larger screen, i like this one. the reason why is because it comes with a styling pen. this is an amazing -- >> it's like the palm pilot all over again. >> if you're more comfortable with taking notes with something in your hand, this is a great one. it can recognize over 1,000 different levels of pressure, so the harder you press, the thicker the line is. and if you're a creative type and you love doodling, this is a really good pick. nice, big screen. >> what about these two? >> a lot of people are on the fence with tablets. if you're thinking that you can't get any work done on it, you might want to consider the windows 8 tablet. this is the samsung smart pc.

and this is microsoft's newest tablet, which is great. it has a little key pad. and the best thing about these two guys here is you have microsoft word, excel, power point, everything you need to get work done. and a lot of techies will say windows 8 doesn't have a lot of apps, but these guys have optional keyboards that you can use and type. >> excellent. thanks to abc's tech contributor tina trinh for the advice. and for another look at all these products, check out our facebook page. you're watching "world news now." ♪ it's so important to make someone happy ♪

when you give a child a toy, it has to work. ♪ make just one someone happy and when it's a toys for tots child, well, what could be more important? so this year, every hasbro toy donated to toys for tots will be powered by duracell. happy holidays.

duracell with duralock. trusted everywhere. it's time to free ourselves from the smell and harshness of bleach. and free ourselves from worrying about the ones we love. new lysol power & free has more cleaning power than bleach. how? the secret is the hydrogen peroxide formula. it attacks tough stains and kills 99.9% of germs. new lysol power & free. powerful cleaning that's family friendly. another step forward in our mission for health. gun control

you found a version. >> that's right. we have a music department. they know what they're doing up there. in our holiday edition of "insomniac play list," radio deejay ben harvey is playing christmas songs with an alternative beat. >> you love everything about the holiday season except you're so sick of hearing the same songs over and over and over again. ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪

>> there's something for everyone, depending on what mood you're in. if you hate all christmas songs because they're too happy, how about this one. "seasons upon us" by the drop kick murphy. this is from their album "signed and sealed in blood." it's all about family dysfunction and mayhem, mixed in with brandy and whisky and eggnog. ♪ the season is upon us, it's that time of the year ♪ ♪ mischief and mayhem and songs to be sung ♪ >> not the feel-good song of the season, but it's definitely worth a listen. and there's "joy to the world." ♪ joy to the world

the savior reigns ♪ >> it's from a christmas compilation called "a very special christmas, 25 years." proceeds benefit the special olympics. if you want to feel like a kid all over again, all you need is celo and the muppets. christina aguilera makes an appearance, as do the muppets themselves. just look for the cover, called "magic moment." ♪ >> i think the muppets hit a new low. >> and yeah, and his first name is c. >> got to love the muppets. that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> what is your favorite holiday song and why?

let us know

>> this morning on "world news now," pointing fingers while taking aim at gun control laws. the debate reaches a new intensity after the newtown tragedy. >> as the nra and gun rights advocates explain their renewed positions. it's monday, december 24. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning. merry christmas eve. i'm brandi hitt in for paula faris. >> i know you're thrilled to be working overnights this christmas weekend. >> great to be in new york. >> you're an l.a. girl in new york and you love the cold weather here. you've seen all the lights and the trees. so you're enjoying the big apple. >> beautiful. >> good to have you back. i know it's tough working the holiday week.

thanks for sticking it out with us. >> you make it easy. >> i try, i try. it's the vodka. shut up, willis. good morning, everybody. happy christmas eve again. the debate over firearms will not subside. that's for sure. as the nation celebrates this holiday season, that is our top story. also this half hour, this story kind of really blew my mind here. no one saw this coming. some post election comments from inside mitt romney's family, the comments raising a lot of political eyebrows. his son gave an interview to "the boston globe," the newspaper, and unexpected is definitely the word. we'll get into that coming up in just a second. also coming up, the controversial call on "wheel of fortune" that has viewers and a contestant expressing outrage. hear what happened during a final round of the game show that led to disappointment, to say the least. it all has to do with how you pronounce a word. >> being punished for her southern accent. i don't like that. i think she has a legit case.

coming up later, the hollywood heartbreak story that won't reach its final chapter. demi moore's latest divorce demand from ashton kutcher. quite an eye opener. details on that and much more celebrity goodness coming up. stay tuned for that. but first, hundreds of people held a candle light vigil on new york's brooklyn bridge in honor of those who died in the connecticut school shooting. >> the names of the victims were read aloud at the center of that span as the protesters called for stricter gun control. with the heated debate, here is abc's david kerley. >> reporter: the nra stuck by its guns, that every american school should have an armed guard. >> if it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our school to protect our children, then call me crazy. >> nra has blood on its hands. >> reporter: amid protesters and refusing to take questions, the head of the nra unveiled this plan, belittled by some. wayne laperriere finally defended himself. >> when that horrible monster

tried to shoot his way into sandy hook school, that if a good guy with a gun had been there, he might have been able to stop him. >> reporter: the murder massacre in newtown, connecticut led even some nra supporters to call for control of guns and magazine clips. the nra and supporters who blame the media, entertainment culture and a lack ofmental health care are having none of it. >> if you're saying the gun control debate shouldn't be part of this at all? >> sure. congress is going to debate this. i just think it's not part of the ultimate solution on this. >> reporter: at least one school district in new jersey will place armed guards in schools, to the disapproval of the governor. >> you don't want to make this an armed camp for kids. i don't think that's a positive example for children. >> reporter: our new abc news washington post poll shows a majority of americans continue to favor more restrictions on gun ownership. that may be the reason other americans are flocking to gun stores.

>> we've never seen anything like this. we have the christmas business, the hunting season business, and now we have the political business. >> reporter: wayne laperriere was pressed time again whether he would agree with one change on gun laws. he finished by saying the gun is a tool. the problem are criminals. david kerley, abc news, washington. and washington's other major problem is the fiscal cliff and yet no resolution just yet. the deadline for heading off tax hikes and spending cuts is now one week away. congress returns from a short holiday break on thursday and at least one senator expects negotiations to go up until new year's eve. one possibility is a partial deal on taxes and putting off spending for later. also new insight this morning into mitt romney's failed run for the white house. comments coming now from his eldest son. tag romney tells "the boston globe" that his dad never actually wanted the top job and he was reluctantly convinced to run for president.

"he wanted to be president less than anyone i've met in my life" is what tag said, direct quote. he went on to say that his father is a very private person who simply does not like attention. that's a stunning remark, the money, the time, the scheduling, the scrutiny, the investment. the people around you who come along for the ride. if you don't really want it, why would you jump and devote two years of your life running for the toughest job on the planet? >> i was at the romney headquarters election night and i can tell you that when they learned he wasn't going to be president of the united states, he looked sad. he looked disappointed. he looked like somebody that really wanted this and it was not going to be. so just seeing the reaction and everything that went into it. and tag said that ann tried to convince him of this too, to run. and it was the two of them together. >> you have to wonder, did he really not -- he could have made choices and said i'm not going to do it.

he's a man of free will, could have said no. but you have to wonder did he not want to do it or is this kind of, you know, post election -- like i didn't want it any way. i'm brushing it off. i don't know how to interpret that, but interesting article in "the globe." check it out for the full interview. in other news today, a veteran idaho lawmaker is apologizing after being arrested for dui in washington. virginia police say republican mike crepo failed several sobriety tests and had a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit. he'll appear in court in early january. former president george h.w. bush may be spending christmas in the hospital. he's been there since thanksgiving battling bronchitis and a lingering cough. doctors say he's in stable condition but needs to build up his energy. he's been working with physical therapists to regain his strength. christmas prayers are going out to former south african president nelson mandela.

south africans are sending warm wishes to the former leader. he's been in the hospital for more than two weeks with a lung infection and gal stone surgery, as well. he's in no imminent danger but doctors want to make sure before releasing him. the anti-apartheid icon is 94-year-old old. now we turn to britain, where thousands of christmas travelers are having a rough go today. flooding has shut down train service in many areas, especially in scotland, southwest england and south wales, as well. many highways there simply impassable. drivers have been warned not to travel unless absolutely necessary. and more rain expected later today. severe flooding is a problem in northern california. highways in sonoma county are under water, as well as some of the areas famous vineyards. and up in the mountains, up to four feet of snow expected to fall in the sierra nevada. it is the second wave of storms to hit northern california since friday.

the rainy weather also grounded dozens of flights around the san francisco bay area. the san francisco international up to 30 flights have been canceled and many more delayed. that includes incoming and departing flights. just in time for holiday travel. >> as if the holidays aren't stressful enough with other things. good luck, everybody, getting around. while the west takes that beating, the gulf coast is bracing for tornadoes during this holiday weekend. >> good morning, andrew. >> much of the nation will be relatively tranquil for your holiday travels, our big unsettled area will be across portions of the south and the gulf coast especially. disturbance pushing through and strong thunderstorms late tonight in the houston area, into tomorrow. then louisiana, mississippi, alabama, georgia, looking at torrential down pours, hail and a threat for tornadoes. rob, brandi? >> thank you, andy. not only is it christmas

eve, it is national eggnog day. >> did you know? >> who knew? it's frothy, fattening, made from milk, sugar and spices. if it's homemade, it might be made with raw, unpasteurized eggs. but the commercial stuff like we have here is safe in cartons and made with the safe eggs, which is good to know. >> definitely. we're drinking the good stuff. >> can i get some of that? >> hey, the commish. >> there you go, dude. don't be bashful. >> very nice. cheers. it's a party here. >> as you all well know, if you want stronger, the brandi is in my desk upstairs. you know how we roll. >> my grandpa, that's the only way you got christmas eggnog if he is put in sometimes way too much brandy. you take a sip, way above 20 i

promise you. >> maybe it was in honor of his granddaughter, brandi. >> this is pretty good for the stuff we have here. >> this is nice. >> well done, staff. salute, everybody. get some eggnog. we'll be back with more "world news now" right after this, everybody. don't go far. >> cheers. >> salute. cheers. >> salute. i'm done!

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♪ welcome back.

you're almost done with your first glass. >> this is good. >> fill you up for round two. it's not as dire as the whole fiscal cliff situation, but there are a lot of people upset at the game show "wheel of fortune." >> it has to do with a contestant who guessed the right word, she got the whole thing right, but was told she lost because of the way she said the words because of her accept. here's abc's john muller. >> s. >> yeah, four of them. >> reporter: she was on a roll, cruising her way towards thousands on "wheel of fortune. >> n. >> three ns. >> reporter: renee can taste victory. she's got the winning answer. >> i would like to solve. seven swans a swimmin'. >> yeah, that's -- >> reporter: or so she thought. even hothe host has to backtrac.

pronouncing swimming swimmin'. >> yeah. >> that's how i speak, you know, being from florida. i had asked for the g, so i knew it was there. >> reporter: judges said it was spoken in vernacular. so it violated the rules. the twitter lit up with outrage. "wheel of fortune" hates southerners. >> if you start to sing the song, it's seven swans a layin'. >> reporter: even the other contestant couldn't believe what happened. >> do you know what happened? >> no. >> it cost me the show. >> reporter: while the judges may be grinches, they didn't feel our christmas spirit, even if she sings it seven swans a swimmin'. >> i had an amazing experience. it's been so fun to see where i've been and what i've done.

it's been such a whirlwind, i feel like i should be out with big sunglasses and a hat. >> john muller, abc news, new york. >> blown away. >> that's unfair. you knew what she was saying. >> you could hear it. >> bad call. i got two letters for you, pat, bs. i think it's the wrong call. i'm calling pat sajak out here. >> pat and vana are listening, i'm sure. >> that's right. i'll put my 200 out there. can you get that puzzle, pat? coming up next, getting feisty on christmas eve. that's the nog talking. who's getting a very generous christmas gift from rihanna? >> demi moore has more demands in her high profile divorce, next. you need to get you another.

♪ skinny, so skinny willis is back there going crazy. believe it or not, it's been more than a year, november 2011 when ashton kutcher and demi moore announced they were breaking up. but apparently they're just getting around to officially

filing for the divorce. apparently ashton took the first move and he filed his petition friday in los angeles superior court, citing the ever popular irreconcilable differences. apparently she's not signed the papers. guess why? because she wants more money according to tmz. that's why they have not signed -- she's not signed it just yet. but they're getting on with the business of the divorce. both are worth millions. >> is he worth more now? >> you would think with "two and a 1/2 men" that he's raking in a good chunk of chain. we'll see. ashton took the first step and is getting out there. of course, he's dating another lady love now. >> she's pretty hot, too. now to some scary moments for rihanna. there was a guy trespassing on the property where she was staying in barbados. and yeah, according to police, i don't think he was -- they think he was not a stalker, but just

trespassing and maybe didn't know he was on the property. i don't know about that. but everything is okay. she's fine. the guy had already left by the time officers arrived. but on a side note, rihanna each getting into the holiday spirit. donating $1.75 million to a barbados hospital in memory of her grandma. >> very cool. those are tmz photos there of the guy. interesting, though, there's your girlfriend rihanna, willis. >> i like that willis just chimes in on everything. >> she's all right. i'm sure you'll be her backup, willis. also here, gangnam style, went to youtube in july and is the first youtube video to hit 1 billion with a b hits. and off this one song he purchased a home in l.a., cash

money, $1.25 million. and now has the youtube record. we can just move on and hopefully gangnam style will go out of style in 2013. how about that? >> we're over it. rolling stones' ronnie wood 65 years old just got married to this lovely lady who is 34. they just got married. congratulations. and they're going to start a family. so we could see a baby on the rolling stones tour with mick and -- >> wow. rolling stone, indeed. 64? >> 64 and 35. >> yeah, dude, he's a rock star. these how rock stars roll. can't hate him for that. this is a big story. we want to give a congratulations to our favorite weatherman sam champion. he got married last week to his partner, ruben. we're happy for them so much. it was a small ceremony here in manhattan in his apartment. and robin roberts was there,

looking great, bouncing back, the whole "gma" team there. so sending love to sam and his husband and to robin, as well. we'll see you soon, too. it's time to change the way we clean.

it's time to free ourselves from the smell and harshness of bleach. and free ourselves from worrying about the ones we love. new lysol power & free has more cleaning power than bleach. how? the secret is the hydrogen peroxide formula. it attacks tough stains and kills 99.9% of germs. new lysol power & free. powerful cleaning that's family friendly. another step forward in our mission for health.

♪ welcome back. finally this half hour, christmas gifts for people on your list who have, and we mean this, everything. >> of course, if money is no object, and we know rob can spend a little dough, we have some ideas sure to please. here's abc's dan harris. >> reporter: it's called simply enough, the christmas book. an annual catalog put out by the high end retailer neimann marcus. inside, you can find fantasy gifts, like a $50,000 personal blimp, his and hers robots, and even a flying car at the bargain price of $3.5 million. >> it's just fun to go through and say i would love to have this, i would love to have that. ♪ it's a hard knock life for us ♪ ♪ it's a hard knock like for us ♪

>> reporter: this year you can buy a walk-on role to the broadway hit "annie." a $350,000 sports car. or this -- a real-life jet pack. at a price of roughly $100,000, it will take you 30 feet in the hair at 30 miles an hour. this can guy do twists, turns, barrel rolls and dive bombs. when i tried it, i inched along at five feet above the water. there's a $100,000 hen house. this looks like the french poodle of hens. here the 1% of the poultry world can cluck around in a coup fitted with a living room, modeled on the palace of versailles. is something like this wasted on chickens? the chandelier, the artwork. is there any evidence they're going to lay better eggs in this environment?

>> no, but you as the farmer will be encouraged and inspired. >> reporter: fancy chickens do lay colored eggs, green and red. i tried one. it's really good. really good. i would definitely pay $100,000 for that egg. dan harris, abc news, new york. >> give it some gas, dan. give it some gas. >> the jet pack looks cool. we can all agree on that. the hen house, come on, now. that's how i get home from work every day. just float down central park west and i'm back home just like that. that looks like a good gift because that's something if you have that kind of money you can get into, you know what i mean? >> until you crash it. >> i don't have that kind of money. merry christmas, everybody. don't have that kind of money. merry christmas, everybody.